Bai Yue’s Christmas gift was a set of rare merchandise from an anime Ye Xi loved.
Ye Xi’s eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Because the anime was released a long time ago, its official merchandise was scarce and had become insanely expensive over the years.
Ye Xi had only gotten into the fandom last year, and even with generous pocket money, he had found it painful to spend on the merch.
But now, Bai Yue had just… casually handed it to him without a word.
Ye Xi clutched the box, his eyes shining like searchlights, staring at Bai Yue, speechless for a long time.
Bai Yue chuckled softly. “A while ago, when you were coming over for tutoring, I saw that page open on your phone, so I took the liberty of buying it for you.”
He paused for a moment, then asked a little hesitantly, “I hope we didn’t end up with the same one… Did you already buy it yourself?”
Ye Xi shook his head vigorously.
He had planned to get it, but after hesitating for a day, someone else snatched it up.
He was so frustrated, he’d gritted his teeth for half an hour in the dorm.
But now he knew—the decisive buyer who hadn’t left him the slightest chance was probably Bai Yue.
Ah, well—better to keep it in the family.
Ye Xi was no longer upset. Hugging his merch with delight, he smiled shyly. “Thank you, Bai-ge. I really like it.”
“That’s good,” Bai Yue smiled as well.
On the way back, Ye Xi refused to let go of his merch. If Bai Yue hadn’t been right next to him, he probably would’ve planted a million kisses on his beloved Sky Witch figurine.
But since they were in Bai Yue’s car, he managed to restrain himself—just a little.
Still, maybe because he was in such a good mood, when they passed a small tavern and saw a sign advertising eggnog, he impulsively tugged Bai Yue’s sleeve and boldly said he wanted some too.
This time, Bai Yue hesitated.
“You’ve already had two cocktails… Won’t you get drunk?” Bai Yue looked at Ye Xi uncertainly. “Can you even hold your liquor?”
He remembered Zheng Yang once complaining that Ye Xi was a total lightweight—three drinks and he’d be down.
Ye Xi ignored reality and nodded firmly.
“I can handle it,” he said, cheeks flushed, wearing Bai Yue’s scarf around his neck. Maybe it was the heat in the car, but his face was red and his eyes watery. He looked up at Bai Yue with a pleading gaze. “I don’t usually drink, but it’s Christmas. Just this once.”
Bai Yue couldn’t resist that look.
“Fine,” he said, pulling over and getting out of the car, not sure if he was reassuring Ye Xi or himself. “Christmas can be an exception.”
A few minutes later, Bai Yue returned with a cup of eggnog.
He, the adult in the car, hadn’t had a single drop of alcohol that evening.
Ye Xi took the drink eagerly, immediately downing a big gulp. Whipped cream stuck to his lips.
“Tastes good,” he said seriously.
As Bai Yue drove again, he cast a sidelong glance at Ye Xi. He really hoped Ye Xi didn’t get drunk.
Spending the night with a drunk crush… It could turn into a dream—or a battle of conscience.
Unfortunately, Bai Yue’s concerns were spot-on.
By the time they reached the apartment—just forty minutes later—Ye Xi had downed the whole cup and was already dozing off with his eyes closed.
When Bai Yue helped him out of the car, Ye Xi’s eyes were open but dazed. He couldn’t tell east from west.
Bai Yue had no choice but to support him with one arm and carry his backpack with the other. They stood together waiting for the elevator.
The security guard in the lobby already recognized Ye Xi and greeted them cheerfully: “Your little brother’s here again? What happened—he tired?”
Bai Yue glanced down at Ye Xi snoozing peacefully on his shoulder.
He smiled helplessly and didn’t bother correcting the misunderstanding. “Yeah, he had a bit too much fun.”
The elevator arrived quickly.
Inside, Ye Xi remained docile despite being drunk—no trouble at all.
Even when they reached Bai Yue’s apartment, he stood quietly and didn’t insist on punching in the code like usual.
But once they stepped inside, maybe because he felt safe, Ye Xi started getting cranky.
He kicked off his shoes, stood barefoot on the floor, and leaned against the door, refusing to move. He scrunched his nose at Bai Yue. “I’m not moving. I want to stand here a bit.”
After a moment, he added, “I’m thirsty. I want water.”
He even had a request: “Cold, with honey and rose syrup.”
He treated Bai Yue like the family housekeeper Auntie Chen—expecting him to fulfill every little wish.
Bai Yue had no way to deal with this.
He’d never handled Ye Xi drunk before. He had heard from Zheng Yang, though, that Ye Xi usually just fell asleep and wasn’t hard to manage. No danger.
After a quick mental assessment, Bai Yue decided to let go of Ye Xi’s hand.
“Then stand there and sober up a bit,” he said softly, like coaxing a child. “I’ll be back soon. Don’t move, okay?”
But the moment Bai Yue turned around, Ye Xi started moving.
The floor heating was on high. Ye Xi soon felt hot and started tugging off his scarf and jacket. The long gray scarf ended up in a heap, the black cropped jacket tossed aside, metal buttons clinking against the floor.
Now he was left wearing only a thin, loose blue cashmere sweater—V-neck, barely noticeable on his frame.
He stared blankly at the living room.
He was in a half-drunk, half-sober state—confused but still somewhat rational.
So after a moment of standing alone, he suddenly realized where he was—Bai Yue’s apartment.
Ah… Bai Yue.
That name floated gently in his foggy mind and easily settled into its rightful place in his heart.
Ye Xi vaguely remembered—Bai Yue was his crush.
The one he’d tried everything to seduce.
He immediately fell into deep, serious thought.
He leaned against the door, long legs slightly bent, sweat glistening on his waist from earlier movements. The hem of his sweater had slipped from his pants, revealing a faint hint of skin.
He didn’t even remember why he was in Bai Yue’s apartment.
But he had a hazy memory of recently cramming some “how to seduce” tutorials…
Even though he’d once told Li Rui, “It wouldn’t be too regrettable if I never got to sleep with Bai Yue,” he never missed a single lesson from that so-called dating guru.
Super dedicated.
And absolutely in denial.
Which completely exposed the truth: that earlier statement was just self-comfort. He hadn’t given up—not for a second.
So even now, with his mind a chaotic mess from alcohol and heat, Ye Xi still remembered the last “seduction tip” from the lesson:
“If you’ve already made it to your crush’s house and had a lovely date, be bold—go seduce him.
Pull down one strap of your camisole to reveal a snowy shoulder, sweep your hair aside, and ask him to check if your ear is red or if there’s a rash on the back of your neck.”
“Create an ambiguous atmosphere. Light candles. Let your gaze trail down his body—especially linger on the lips. Make him want to kiss you.”
…
Ye Xi couldn’t remember the rest. Out of the 30-minute tutorial, he remembered only two tips.
But that was better than nothing.
He looked down at his outfit, then instinctively, without hesitation, began improvising—even though he wasn’t wearing a camisole.
He yanked at the thin blue sweater. The delicate cashmere quickly stretched and warped under his rough handling.
He went further than the tutorial ever suggested—no restraint at all. The sweater was nearly torn apart. Far more skin was exposed than required.
His pale, soft skin and slender neck came into view, the silver necklace at his collarbone swinging gently. The irregular star pendant sparkled faintly with a hazy, intimate light.
When Bai Yue returned holding a glass of water, that was the scene he walked into.
Ye Xi’s clothes were half off, most of his upper body exposed—pale, delicate, bathed in moonlight that spilled through the dim room.
Ye Xi looked up at him in a daze, eyes soft and helpless, like a dream born of spring.
Bai Yue’s grip on the glass tightened. Veins bulged on the back of his hand. A droplet of cold water slid down the cup, landed on his hand, then fell to the floor—
Drip.
Like the sound of his heartbeat.
And Ye Xi, completely unaware, staggered toward Bai Yue.
But he clearly overestimated himself.
His jeans were a bit long that day, and he’d secretly added height to his shoes to make up for past humiliation.
Now barefoot, he was several centimeters shorter than usual. Unused to the change, he tripped—his left foot stepping on his right—and crashed to the floor.
Thud.
It sounded painful.
Bai Yue’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately set down the glass and rushed over to help Ye Xi up.
Ye Xi was so stunned from the fall, his eyes were glazed over even as Bai Yue lifted him.
“You okay?” Bai Yue asked, checking him over.
Ye Xi didn’t even hear clearly. He just instinctively shook his head.
Then, after just two seconds of sitting on the floor, he naturally snuggled into Bai Yue’s arms.
Like a stray kitten who’d found warmth, he shamelessly curled up without hesitation.
Bai Yue was kneeling on the floor.
Ye Xi unceremoniously hooked his arms around Bai Yue’s neck and leaned in close, resting against his chest.
“…It hurts.”
He mumbled, complaining about his bruised knee. But with the alcohol numbing everything, even the pain felt distant and vague.
Bai Yue froze completely.
At this point, he doubted whether Ye Xi had only had cocktails and eggnog—or half a bottle of vodka.
If Ye Xi were sober right now, he’d probably be screaming and digging a hole to hide in.
But he was drunk.
Still, he hadn’t forgotten the one thing that mattered most—who his heart belonged to.
So he was incredibly bold—terrifyingly so.
He even reached out and tugged at Bai Yue’s collar, complaining, “Why aren’t you talking to me? Do you not like me?”
He stared at Bai Yue with a shameless expression, yet there was a hint of grievance in his eyes.
As if afraid he wasn’t showing enough skin, he gave a loud snap and viciously tore at his sweater again.
Well, now it was ruined.
The lightweight sweater was completely ripped, fluttering down and gathering around Ye Xi’s waist.
Ye Xi sat bare-chested in Bai Yue’s lap.
He even recalled a few pointers from some “seduction” tips—despite being nearly naked, he still turned his head to expose his neck to Bai Yue.
“Can you check if I have a rash on the back of my neck?”
He said it as if it were perfectly reasonable, even a little spoiled, the kind of thing a pampered favorite might say. A sober Ye Xi would’ve jumped off a building eighteen times by now.
Bai Yue: “…”
Just moments ago, he had been trying to help Ye Xi pull his clothes back on.
Now, looking down at Ye Xi, he felt more helpless than he ever had before.
He thought: Zheng Yang totally gave me the wrong intel—how was I supposed to believe Ye Xi just falls asleep when he gets drunk?
He clearly also tears his clothes off.
“You should lie down, you’re drunk and need to rest,” he tried to reason with Ye Xi. “Didn’t you say you wanted cold water? I brought some—want a sip?”
Ye Xi caught the keyword.
His foggy brain mulled it over for a second. Then, licking his still-dry lips, he thought for two seconds and gave a very reserved nod.
Bai Yue held him and helped him sit up, but Ye Xi still leaned into his chest.
The cup of iced honey grapefruit water was on the side table.
Worried Ye Xi might not hold it steadily, Bai Yue brought the cup to his lips himself.
Ye Xi obediently drank, but his eyes never left Bai Yue, as if afraid Bai Yue would run away.
After finishing the glass, Ye Xi didn’t say a word—just kept looking at Bai Yue.
A few droplets of water clung to his lips, which he licked off instinctively, as if he were born knowing how to tempt someone.
Bai Yue couldn’t help but stare at Ye Xi’s lips. And when his gaze dropped lower, he saw Ye Xi’s collarbone… and even those two pink points on his chest…
The four-pointed star pendant on Ye Xi’s pale skin swung lightly, like a broken, restless compass needle, stirring up turmoil in his heart.
The air inexplicably turned heated.
Ye Xi showed no discomfort—instead, he started playing with the buttons on Bai Yue’s shirt.
In the end, Bai Yue could only sigh helplessly. “Let me take you back to your room to rest.”
…
By the time Bai Yue finally got Ye Xi into bed, he was physically and emotionally exhausted.
Drunk Ye Xi was anything but well-behaved.
As soon as they entered the room, Ye Xi insisted on going to the bathroom—but he was staggering and wobbly, bumped his head on the glass, and sat on the floor dazed for a long time.
Bai Yue was distressed, checking if his forehead was hurt. But Ye Xi twisted and squirmed in his arms, and then, with no hesitation at all, kicked off his jeans. Now he was wearing only white underwear, tightly wrapping his slim but slightly fleshy hips.
He lay in Bai Yue’s arms, as bare and shameless as Venus rising from the sea.
Bai Yue locked eyes with Ye Xi’s dark pupils for a few moments and felt like the fact he hadn’t done anything to Ye Xi deserved a damn medal for moral integrity.
Now, Bai Yue sat on the edge of the bed, quietly watching Ye Xi, not sure whether to sigh or laugh.
Ye Xi had finally tired himself out and fallen asleep. But even asleep, with his eyes shut tight, there was a strange mix of innocence and sensuality about him.
He was clearly still a teenager—he bit his pen when he couldn’t finish his homework, stayed up reading comics and playing games, and sometimes went out to play football on the field, full of youthful energy, like a fresh summer lemon.
But earlier, he had paraded in front of Bai Yue bare chested—every curve of his body telling Bai Yue he was on the verge of becoming an adult.
Bai Yue couldn’t help himself. He leaned down and gently kissed Ye Xi on the center of his forehead.
He thought: please, hurry up and grow up, my little prince.
Ever since he’d fallen for Ye Xi, he had endured torturous days like this over and over. He wanted to kiss Ye Xi’s lips so badly, yet feared that shedding his mask of the perfect older brother would frighten Ye Xi into running away.
But he had already waited far, far too long.
He had watched Ye Xi grow from a naive child into a shy teenager, and now from that teenager into a young man on the cusp of adulthood.
He couldn’t wait any longer to pick this rose and place it in his garden.
